Marsh tit

Poecile palustris

About

This is a small, mainly brown bird, with a shiny black cap, dark 'bib' and pale belly. The marsh tit is so similar to the willow tit that ornothologists didn’t realise there were two species until 1900!

Despite their name, marsh tits are most often found in broadleaf woodland, copses, parks and gardens. They feed mostly on insects and seeds and may even start to hoard seeds if they find a good supply, burying and hiding them for a rainy day.

How to identify

There are a few features which help to tell apart marsh and willow tits: marsh tits have a glossy cap and a neater 'bib' under their chin. Up close you might be able to see the pale 'cutting' edge to a marsh tit's beak. The easiest way to identify them is by their call: a 'pitchoo' which sounds a bit like a sneeze.